Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave + a Giveaway

Georgia's big day is just one week away. One week until she can call Ben her husband. After that, they're off to London and their new life together. But it turns out Ben has been keeping something from Georgia. Something big.

Confused and angry, Georgia does the only thing she can think of in the situation: she runs home. But when she arrives, the comfort and stability she'd hoped for aren't to be found. Instead, she finds her mother with another man, the family vineyard under contract to be sold, and something causing friction between her two brothers. Worst of all, Georgia can't decide if her love for Ben outweighs the betrayal she feels.

Laura Dave's latest is a combination of California sun, wine-soaked afternoons, and family drama at its best!

Poor Georgia! I don't think anyone would blame her for being angry. The stress of an upcoming wedding is bad enough and learning that the man you love has been lying doesn't make things easier. And apparently Georgia is a fixer - so when she finds that everyone in her family is going through something equally awful, she ends up in the middle of it all. Even when they don't want her to be.

Her parents had been keeping their own issues from all of the kids, waiting until after the wedding to reveal that they'd separated. And while her brothers knew of the impending sale of the Last Straw Vineyard, to the biggest of "big box" wineries no less, it's news to Georgia. The story of how her parents met is legend in the family and the winery is everything her father has lived for. To see both thrown away is more than Georgia can handle.

The "last straw" for Georgia concerns her brothers. No one really knows whats up with the two of them except that they're fighting worse than ever. And its harvest season to boot, the last harvest season for Last Straw Vineyard. Possibly the last time Georgia's family will be together as one. None of this distracts Georgia from her own problems. None of it makes the decision she needs to make any easier. But all of it makes for a great story!

Eight Hundred Grapes is a fun read. It's a bit of an emotional roller coaster, both for the characters and the reader, but overall it's pure fun. Definitely recommended!

Rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher, I have a few bonus extras to share with you and an Eight Hundred Grapes giveaway on offer as well. First up, the extras: if you're a book clubber, Eight Hundred Grapes will definitely make for some great discussions. To get you started, the folks at Simon & Schuster have put together this Reading Group Guide for you. And since this is a wine lover's kind of read, you can't miss this wine pairing guide as well. Finally, Laura Dave shares her own super secret lasagna ingredient in this video (it's the same super secret ingredient Georgia's mom is famous for).

And now for the giveaway! Thanks to the publisher, I've got a copy of Eight Hundred Grapes and a mug to giveaway to one of you lucky readers. To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, June 22. US only and no PO boxes please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!